“You sure you want to do this? I know how much it meant to you...”

Polina smiled gently at Oliver as they walked hand in hand towards the front entrance of the Police Department. Reaching over, she tapped his nose with one finger before wagging it in his face. “You're not getting out of this that easy, Oli. And, honestly... it's a bit overdue, anyway.”

Retracting her hand, she sighed softly. “Even before they suspended me and started going after you, I was starting to have doubts. I saw to many instances of people like Carl, getting in trouble for assault or theft... or worse... They would get brought in, with plenty of evidence proving their guilt... Then the phone would ring.”

She huffed in annoyance, shaking her head. “The D.A. Would drop the charges, or reduce them to a misdemeanor... Sometimes we were told to 'just let them go with a warning'... All because their parents were friends with the right people, or made a big donation, or any number of bullshit reasons...”

“And then those assholes would strut out like they owned the place, smiling condescendingly at us like they were untouchable.”

Gripping his hand tighter, she leaned into his side, disappointment written clearly on her face. “Then all the crap that came down because of Carl and his dad... I spent a while denying how fucked up things were, lying to myself that it would get better... Because admitting it felt like... I don't know... Like maybe my whole career meant nothing? Like I didn't really accomplish anything...”

Oliver pulled her to a stop and turned to face her. Staring into her eyes, he smiled reassuringly. “But your career did have meaning, and you certainly accomplished a lot. How many people did you help? Not just the big stuff, like robberies and murders, but the little stuff too? What looks small to us may be big to someone else... And just knowing that someone as kind and dedicated as you was looking out for them probably made a lot of people feel safer.”

“Yeah, I guess I can see that...” Polina nodded slowly. “I still hate how messed up things became, but you're right that it wasn't my fault.”

“Are you sure you want to go in there with me?” She asked suddenly, carefully watching his expression. “I can't imagine they will be happy to see you, considering the lawsuits...”

“Where I go, you go... And where you go, I go.” Oliver replied with a cheeky smile. “Besides, I doubt anyone will even come within ten feet of me for fear of causing more problems. And I'm just going to be waiting in the lobby, anyway.”

“Ok, if you're sure.” She said with a bright smile as he opened the door for her. “And if anyone gives you any grief, don't bother responding. Just call your lawyer right in front of them.”

Oliver chuckled softly, but his response was cut off by a surprised exclamation as the door closed behind the pair.

“Ramirez!? You don't call, don't write... Then just come waltzing in like you can't be bothered.” An officer said as he quickly approached to two of them. Frowning in thought, it took Oliver a moment to recall the man: Franklin Pierce, Polina's friend in the department- and a good guy, from everything he had seen and been told by Poli.

“Yeah, sorry about that Frank. Its been... kind of an off month. Though things are looking up, at the moment.” Glancing down the hall, Polina nodded her head sideways at Oliver as she met Franklin's gaze, a glint of amusement in her eyes. “Keep an eye on my boyfriend for a sec, will you? I need to talk to the Captain.”

As she turned to walk off, Franklin couldn't help but ask, “Talk to the Captain? Are they finally easing off that stupid suspension?”

“Nope.” She answered with a chuckle, waving a piece of paper over her head as she walked away. “I'm resigning.”

Franklin stared after her for a second before shaking his head with an amused snort. “Never figured she would quit. Not that I blame her, really.”

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

Turning to face Oliver, he sized him up for a moment before offering a friendly smile and handshake. “I never pictured her as the housewife type. How did you pull that one off?”

While Oliver felt a bit awkward talking with someone he barely knew, Franklin seemed like a good guy- and he was Poli's friend, which counted for a lot. With a small shrug, he managed to return the smile. “I didn't really. Since I travel with my job, Poli decided she wanted to come with me and keep me out of trouble.”

Shaking his head, Franklin laughed. “No offense, but I can't see you chasing after women while you're gone. You just aren't the cheating sort... And you're obviously so head over heels for Poli, you would never even consider it. So, what kind of trouble is would she need to keep you out of?”

Oliver, finding Franklin to be rather pleasant and friendly to talk to, relaxed a bit- though he still kept his answer vague. “The places I get sent aren't always the safest. While everything has turned out fine so far, having someone I trust watching my back couldn't hurt.”

Franklin cocked his head curiously, though he spoke slowly, hesitant to pry into their business. “So... You're job takes you to places where there is violence? Poli mentioned your job payed well, but didn't really say what you do. I mean, you don't have to tell me-”

“It's fine.” Oliver said, waving off his reticence. “For various reasons, I can't give a lot of details... But...”

Considering his words for a moment, Oliver went with something that was mostly true- in a way, it would actually help the two of them; they needed a cover for when they 'left town' for extended periods, and his 'job' was the best answer.. “Like my last job... I went out to help some people that had suffered damage to their agriculture due to a natural disaster. We were trying to pick up some supplies and ran into some problems...”

Franklin nodded in understanding. “Third-world country? Ran into some thugs working for a local warlord kind of thing?” At Oliver's surprised look, he chuckled softly. “I was in the army. I've heard plenty of similar stories, and seen a few things myself.”

Patting Oliver on the shoulder, Franklin nodded emphatically. “Honestly, taking her with you is a good choice. You know she almost went into the Marines, right? You're girl is hardcore.”

Oliver paused, confusion briefly flashing across his face. “She did?”

Franklin stared at Oliver for a second before he grimaced. “Ah, she hasn't mentioned that? I mean, I'm not surprised, but...” He shook his head slowly, clearly annoyed at himself. “It's not really my place to say anything, but that was around the time her dad passed away. Probably why she doesn't talk about it much. She only told me about it because I overheard her mother mention it.”

Oliver remember her talking about her father, and how he was a Marine... And he wasn't really upset that she hadn't told him about almost going into the military. He knew from personal experience how difficult it could be to talk about things that were so close to a lost family member- he still had trouble talking about his mom sometimes, after all.

“Yeah, I get what you mean. Old wounds...”

A throat clearing nearby pulled their attention away from the awkward moment. Standing nearby, a polite smile on her face, was a well dressed woman; Immaculate pants suit, clean-but unpainted- finger nails, and her brown hair in a neat bun on the back of her head. Attractive, but with a no-nonsense edge to her despite the polite smile.

“Excuse me. Oliver Silk? Hi, I'm-” She began, before Oliver quickly cut her off.

“Any official communications should go through my lawyer, Miss.” He said with a frown, his words clipped with annoyance. “I apologize, but I have nothing to say to the State Police without my lawyer present.”

She nodded in understanding, though not a flicker of emotion crossed her face. “I understand, Mr. Silk, but I am not with the State Police. Or the local Police either, for that matter.”

Pulling a badge from her jacket pocket, she held it up for him to see as she continued. “I'm Agent Jane Doe with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. While I am aware of those... issues... I have no involvement in them, nor do I wish to. I was actually hoping to speak with you about a separate matter, if you can spare a moment.”

Oliver managed to keep a straight face, but inside he wanted to curse; the Federal government sniffing around him was one of the last things he wanted to deal with. Ever. Especially with all his secrets... and some of the things he had done...

But could brushing her off come back to bite him in the ass? Maybe calling his lawyer would be the right move, but... what if that just caused her to look into him more? Without knowing what she wanted, he had no way to know what to do... And, with a name like 'Jane Doe', his mind instantly jumped to some wild conclusions...

Which wasn't helped by the good look he got at her badge. At first glance, it was just a badge and ID, clearly displaying her name and title- Senior Agent- and marking her as an FBI agent...

Then he blinked. And it changed.

Like a fog lifting before his eyes, a new line appeared at the bottom.

Paranormal Investigations Division.